Site to raise awareness for Charcot Marie Tooth. Discuss my quest to run the Boston Marathon while having CMT. Talk about training and doing marathons, half marathons, triathalons and duathalons. Discuss being an athlete with a disability.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine 1/2 cup of flour with salt and paprika. Shake off excess flour. Put olive oil into an oven proof Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Saute the chicken until it is brown on all sides. Remove from the pan. Add the garlic, onions, celery, bay leaves and rosemary. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add 1/4 cup of flour. Deglaze pot with white wine. Add the chicken broth. Put the chicken back into the pot. Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour. Remove the chick and bay leaves. Mash the garlic cloves with a potato masher. Ladle the stew over couscous and top with a piece of chicken.

Serves 6

*****************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Saturday, March 25, 2017

I have had a craving for pancakes for a couple of weeks. I don't always have time to make them for breakfast. Since today was cold and rainy and I had a day off from training, I decided to make some. I adapted this recipe from one I found in one of the Dr. .Axe cookbooks. It is really good and healthy.

Mix all of the ingredients together until there are no lumps. Grease skillet on medium low heat with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip once. Add more oil as needed and cook the remaining pancakes.
Top each pancake with a tablespoon of lemon curd and chopped almonds.

Makes 12 pancakes

Super Foods featured: blueberries, coconut oil, coconut sugar

*****************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Friday, March 24, 2017

I started making my own soap about five years ago. I have always had sensitive skin and it has gotten more sensitive the older I have gotten. I started to notice in the winter that my skin got so dry it hurt and it was like sandpaper. So I decided to try glyerine based melt and pour soap. I noticed a huge improvement in my skin. There was no more dryness and burning. Now I have started adding essential oils to my soap projects for added health benefits.

This is a really easy project. You can buy the soap base at craft stores like Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

Cut soap into small chunks and put into a large bowl or measuring cup. Place in microwave and heat until the soap melts. Remove and stir with a knife and break up any un-melted chunks. Return to the microwave if needed to complete melting. Remove and let cool slightly. Add the essential oils and pour into the molds. Spray is isopropyl alcohol to remove any surface bubbles. Let cool and then remove form the molds.

*********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

When I partnered with the HNF five years ago, I asked them to trademark the "Team CMT" name. I knew there would come a time when someone else would try to use the name.

About two years ago, I was reading posts in one of the team CMT face book groups and I saw a group raising money for CMT, with "Team CMT" tee shirts. It was the CMT U.K. group. I contacted the president Karen Butcher and made her aware that Team CMT was a protected name. She basically told me she did not care and they just did it once. I was really surprised by that. I can understand not knowing, but I was surprised someone would deliberately take our name and use it without permission. And then on top of it tell me that they didn't care.

Well about three months ago, I was again reading face book and saw the Team CMT kids logo attached to a post by someone not on the team or connected to the HNF. He planned on using it on a face book page he had created aimed at supporting kids with CMT. He was a CMTA member and was raising funds for them.

I helped design the logo with a graphic artist hired by the HNF. The design is based on TRIAD which means therapeutic research in accelerated design. The logo had meaning to us because of that. It is a brand that represents our effort to raise awareness of CMT and money for CMT research. It represents the 200 plus members that have joined the team.

I privately messaged the person and let him know that it was a copyrighted logo. He said it should be all OK because it was for a good cause. He acknowledged he was also using the logo to fund raise for the CMTA. He said it should be OK to do that because there should not be any strife between the two groups. He also added that he copied it from the Internet, so it was OK to use it. He refused to take down the logo.

I told him very clearly that he was not to use it. He thought he could just join the team and that would make it OK. I declined having him join the team because he was not interested in supporting the team, just using the logo.

He then went on to paint himself as a victim in a posting on Inspire. I could understand not understanding copy right law, but to continue to insist on using a logo from one group to fund raise for another makes you a bit clueless. This would be like borrowing a friend's car without their permission to deliver meals for "Meals on Wheels" and not returning it when you pointed out they were driving your car without permission. Just because it is for a good cause does not keep the action from being illegal and unethical.

About a week after the incident, the legal department at my company sent out this message about intellectual property.

"Copyright is a form of protection for any original works of authorship in a tangible medium provided by U.S. laws. The owner of the copyrighted work (e.g., author(s) of the work, company whom the work was prepared for, etc.) has the exclusive legal right to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display or create derivative works thereof.Make sure you obtain permission from the copyright owner prior to using copyrighted work. Examples of copyrighted work include printed material from books, newspaper and magazines (e.g. articles, cartoons and logo) , as well as information and data from the internet and computer software.If you are unsure whether work is copyrighted, always err on the side of caution."

To those in the CMT community that have used our logo and name, this means the "Team CMT" name and the logo belong to the HNF and are not to be used because you like the name or you like the way the logo looks. Please come up with your own ideas and design your own logo. This one is already taken and we proudly use it to raise awareness of CMT and funds for CMT research. I am sure you will come up with equally great ideas. Don't underestimate your own creativity. I can't wait to see what you come up with. I support your efforts and work, just not borrowing our name and logo. Please respect it is our brand, I respect yours.

I wish others in this effort the same success Team CMT and the HNF has achieved. There is room for all of us. Just please come up with your own great ideas.

************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Brown meat in 2 tablespoons olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Transfer beef and drippings to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste then the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the beer and beef broth. Simmer for 1 hour. Add the potatoes, carrots and peas and cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.

Serves 6

*****************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

It is really easy to make homemade yogurt. I used organic milk from grass fed cows to make this a super food.

5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Let yogurt warm to room temperature. Put the milk in a double boiler over a pan of boiling water. Heat until the milk reaches 185 F. Do not boil the milk. Let the milk cool to 100 to 110 F. Do not let it cool below 90 F before adding the plain yogurt which will serve as the culture starter.

Stir well until smooth with no lumps remaining. Place in a yogurt maker for 8 to 9 hours and desired consistency is achieved. I used the Dash yogurt maker.

To get Greek yogurt, strain the yogurt mixture. Place four layers of cheese cloth in a strainer over a bowl. Pour the yogurt into the cloth lined strainer. Place plastic wrap over the top. Place the bowl in the refrigerator.

Allow to drain for at least 2 hour. The longer the straining time the thicker the finished product.
Remove from the refrigerator and squeeze out the excess liquid by pushing on the top.

The liquid is whey and can be discarded or used in smoothies, or at add extra protein when cooking or baking.

********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

We had a little bit of warm weather a few weeks ago. When the weather is warm I switch from eating soup for lunch to salads. The weather is up and down here in the spring so my eating and recipes may bounce back and forth the next few weeks.

Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Place the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Make 4 servings.

*****************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Jazberry Rice Pudding
I like good food. It is really nice when I can enjoy good food and do good at the same time. Today's recipe features Jasberry rice. I was first introduced to this rice through a "Try the World" box. This rice came in a box that featured Thai food. Try the World is a really fun way to try products from around the world. I got a box every other month, complete with recipes. It is a great service to give as a gift to yourself or someone else. They also sell products from all their boxes on their web site.

Jasberry rice is a cross between Thai Jasmine rice and black rice. It was developed by the National Research Council of Thailand. Over the last 30 years the council has developed more than 20 kinds of rice.

The council was approached by MBA students Neil Dejkraisak and Palmny Wonghatharakul. The two students devised a business plan using Jasberry rice to help Northern Thailand rice farmers. While Thailand is the #2 exporter of rice, many rice farmers live in poverty. These two students formed a company Siam Organic and entered a business competition to bring this rice to the farmers. They won the business competition, which was to ring the bell at the close of the NASDAQ, the first Thai business to do so. Read about their journey to change the lives of Thai farmers with this organic grown rice.

You can order Jasberry rice at the Try the World site. It is $9.40 for an 9 ounce package. I used half for today's recipe.

The rice is also very good for you and would qualify as a super food. It has three times the anti-oxidants of blueberries and is loaded with fiber.

You can use this rice in any dish you would use white or brown rice. To prepare:

Quickly rinse to avoid all those purple antioxidants from washing off.

Add 1 cup of Jasberry rice to 2.5 cups of water.

Cook in rice cooker for 20 to 30 minutes.

Now for today's recipe. I modified this one from the one I got in my "Try the World" box. Do add the mango shown for a garnish. It really pairs well with the coconut milk and the rice. I used coconut sugar instead of the recommended brown sugar. You may use that since you may not have coconut sugar. Coconut sugar is a much healthier choice. You can find it at most health food stores.

2/3 cup Jasberry rice

3 1/2 cups water

13.7 ounce can coconut milk, stirred

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped mango for garnish

Place the rice and water in a saucepan. Cover and heat until it boils. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Transfer to four bowls. Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Chop one large mango into small pieces.

Once pudding is set, top with the chopped mango.

Super Foods featured: Jasberry rice, coconut milk, coconut sugar

************************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 210 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.

Friday, March 3, 2017

Today's recipe comes from the Bramble Berry and Soap Queen web sites. It is really easy to make your own soap. You buy a base, melt in the microwave, add fragrance and pour into a mold.

This project is just a bit more complicated due to the layers. The key is to spray each layer with isopropyl alcohol. I put the alcohol in a spray bottle. Give this recipe a try, it is worth the effort to create these beautiful bars. They turned out so well that I took several to work to give to my co-workers. They were thrilled with them. The green layer contains zeolite clay and spirulina power, the black layer has activated charcoal, all of which are good for your skin.

Cut and melt 20 ounces of the clear soap base in the microwaved. Once melted added the charcoal mixture. Mix with a spoon to mix. Add the peppermint essential oil.

Pour 10 ounces of the mixture into the mold. Reserve the rest for later. Spray the top of the soap with isopropyl alcohol. Allow the soap in the mold to cool.

While the soap is cooling, start on the next layer. Cut and melt 20 ounces of the Shea melt and pour base. Melt in the microwave. Once melted add the Rosemary essential oil and the poppy seeds. Allow the soap to cool to 125 F.

Spray the first layer again and pour 10 ounces of the white poppy seed layer on top. Spray with the alcohol to disperse any bubbles. Set the rest aside.

Cut and melt 5 ounces of the clear and 5 ounces of the Shea butter base. Melt in the microwave. Add the green clay and the spirulina mixtures to the base. Stir to combine. Let cool to 120 F.

Once the poppy seed layer has hardened, spray with isopropyl alcohol and then pour the green soap on top.

Let the green layer harden. Re-melt the poppy seed mixture. Let it cool to 125 F. Spray the layer with isopropyl. Pour the poppy seed layer on top of the green layer. Let it harden. Spray with alcohol to disperse any bubbles.

Remelt the charcoal layer. Let it cool to 125F. Once the white layer hardens, spray with alcohol and pour the final black layer on top. Spray the top with alcohol to disperse any bubbles.

Let all the layers harden overnight. Take out of the mold and cut into bars with a knife.

*********************

Chris
Wodke

Founder
& Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt.com

Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. In 2012 she finished
2nd at Boston
in the Mobility Impaired Division. She was on the course in 2013 when the bombs
exploded.

She has
appeared three times at the Paratriathlon National Triathlon Sprint
Championship. She was the 2012 and 2014 National Champion Paratriathlon Open
Division Champion.

In 2014 she was the PC Open Champion at the Duathlon National Championship and
at the Aqua bike National Championship in 2016. She represented Team USA at the Aquathon ITU World Championship in Chicago in 2015 and at the World championship in Cozumel in 2016.

In 2014 she represented the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas,
Texas. She has won state championships in cycling
and triathlon as a senior Olympian.

She
travels around the country raising awareness of CMT.

She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.

Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a
cure for CMT. We have 208 members in 38 states. We also have members in Australia, England,
Scotland, Canada, Vietnam,
Turkey, Finland, Scotland,
France, Poland, Iran,
Norway and Sweden. If you wish to join us visit
our web site; www.run4cmt.com or www.hnf-cure.org

CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.

Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.